Inflammation can negate heart healthy diet

By Robert Cervin, May 7th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

A low fat diet may not help reduce cholesterol if inflammation is a factor
People’s response to a low fat and low cholesterol diet varies, with not all achieving the hoped-for reduction in cholesterol levels. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found one reason why this might be.

Working with a group of 100 people on a low fat and low cholesterol diet, they measured everyone’s C reactive protein (CRP) level. CRP is a known marker for inflammation, a process implicated in heart disease.

Those with low CRP levels achieved a 10 per cent reduction in cholesterol, compared to just three per cent for those who had higher levels. It’s not yet known, however, if weight loss may lower CRP and so improve the outcome of the diet. Further study is needed, but it may be that measuring CRP will be a good indicator of who can most benefit from a heart healthy diet.